Peninsula: My mentor Kim Tae-yeon

Chapter 114 A Fateful Encounter (6k)

When Su Xia woke up from her sleep, it was already the next morning.

Looking at the countless unread messages and the time marked as 5 a.m., Su Xia sat up in bed.

My whole body aches and feels like it's falling apart.

"Old Deng, what time is it?" Su Xia asked casually, sitting on the bed and rubbing her eyes.

The disdainful voice I had imagined never came; all that remained was silence and the sound of my own breathing.

Su Xia paused in rubbing his eyes, then remembered that he had personally seen Kim Tae-yeon off yesterday.

"It's a little strange." Su Xia sighed, sat up in bed, and instead of checking her phone for unread messages, slowly went to the bathroom to wash her face and clear her mind.

It was a little past five o'clock, and the hotel breakfast hadn't started serving yet. Su Xia wasn't very hungry at the moment, so after a quick wash, she sat down on the sofa.

The air conditioner was set very high, so even though I didn't cover myself with a blanket last night, there was no risk of catching a cold.

I opened my phone and browsed through these unread messages.

Most of the messages were from Park Hee-min, about the schedule for the rest of the month. Su Xia took a look and saw that there were even live broadcasts on New Year's Eve and Chinese New Year.

However, there were no events involving collaborations with celebrities, since it's Chinese New Year's Eve and Spring Festival in China, and it wouldn't be appropriate to bring along K-pop artists.

I quickly glanced at the upcoming schedule and then closed the app, before opening Liz's messages.

Chestnut: Su Xia oppa, it's over!

Chestnut: Huh? Where is everyone?

It was a message sent last night. Judging from the time, it must have been sent right after the Golden Disc Awards ended, when I was still unconscious.

After thinking about it, I sent a message to Chestnut.

SuXia: I fell asleep, just woke up.

I put my phone down and opened the curtains.

Winter days are very short, so short that at five o'clock the sky is still dark, as if you are in the middle of the night.

Silently gazing at the "night view" outside, I wonder what I'm thinking.

Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, Su Xia quickly went to her backpack, took out the iPad from it, opened it, and found a folder named "Videos".

I randomly clicked on a video.

In the scene, in her own living room, Su Xia is practicing LESSERAFIM's "Fearless".

"What are you barking like a dog?" Su Xia suddenly cursed in the video.

It seemed like she was talking to someone, and then, in the next second...

"Well, I'm younger than you, Old Deng!" Seeing her own smug expression in the video, Su Xia outside also laughed.

Although he was the only one in the scene, seemingly talking to himself, only Su Xia knew that there was actually another soul standing beside him.

The dormant memories were awakened.

At the time, Su Xia was practicing the dance to "Fearless," and Kim Tae-yeon was giving her pointers. The two bickered as they practiced.

At that time, he and LESSERAFIM had just met, and their relationship was still very ordinary. After practicing together, Su Xia would run home and secretly practice on his own.

Three minutes on stage requires ten years of practice off stage.

The ease and skill he displayed in the video were all the result of his secret practice in private.

Su Xia watched the video until the outside light gradually came on, before she snapped out of her reverie.

"Let's go eat." Su Xia rubbed her stomach. Before she knew it, it was already seven o'clock. Breakfast was served at seven o'clock.

I put on my coat and took the elevator to the restaurant.

"Hello." The waiter bowed respectfully to Su Xia.

Su Xia handed her room key card, which the waiter took with both hands, swiped on the computer, and then returned to Su Xia.

As soon as I sat down in the restaurant, another waiter came over with a tablet.

After ordering breakfast, I handed the tablet to the waiter and leaned back on the sofa, lost in thought.

Ding dong.

Instead of breakfast, I received the news first.

Chestnut: You're up so early!

SuXia: I'm having breakfast at a restaurant, want to come?

In the dimly lit suite upstairs, Liz's previously drowsy eyes instantly brightened.

Looking at the phone screen, the only source of light in the darkness, I typed a message.

Chestnut: I'm getting up and coming over right now!

SuXia: Okay, do you need me to order anything in advance?

Chestnut: A glass of milk. I'll see what else I need when I get there.

SuXia: OK.

Liz happily put down her phone, got up, and went to wash up.

Jin Qiutian, who shared a room with her, heard the noise and opened her eyes in a daze. She only spoke after Liz came out of the bathroom.

"It's only seven o'clock, what are you doing up there?"

"Su Xia oppa called me to have breakfast, unnie, do you want to come along?" Liz asked, standing in front of the mirror and combing her long blonde hair under the bathroom light.

"I'm not going." Jin Qiutian turned over, her back to Liz, and said, "Remember to turn off the lights when you leave, I want to sleep."

"it is good."

She didn't put on makeup, just grabbed a coat from the hanger and went out.

The aroma of breakfast, a blend of warmth from the restaurant's heating system and various other dishes, flooded Liz's senses, and Su Xia's figure immediately came into view.

He was wearing a light gray hooded sweatshirt that had faded to gray, with an oversized black denim jacket casually over it, and dark gray sweatpants on the bottom, giving him a very casual look overall.

Her bangs hung messily over her forehead, and she was wrapped in loose casual clothes, exuding a sullen and unapproachable aura.

Liz's smile froze.

Is Su Xia in a bad mood?

Liz's cheerful steps slowed down after she noticed this.

Liz's approach naturally attracted Su Xia's attention, and she looked up at Liz.

Wearing a black Adidas Originals jacket, K-pop celebrities seem to have a particular fondness for the Adidas brand.

The clover logo shimmered with tiny light below the collar, the left sleeve featured three clean stripes, while the right sleeve was adorned with several intersecting white lines, as if a retro sporty style had been mixed with a touch of rebellion.

The hem of her coat hung loosely over her waistband, and a thin silver chain dangled from the side of her trousers, swaying gently with her steps, adding a touch of cool light to her all-black outfit.

Her golden curly hair swept past her shoulders, and her soft, wispy bangs clung to her forehead, making her eyes appear even rounder.

She wore glasses, and her eyes were adorned with a touch of light brown pearlescent light. When she smiled, her signature dimples shone like stars. Even without makeup, she was still captivating.

How can someone wear such loose sportswear and yet perfectly blend youthful coolness with soft sweetness?

The gloomy mood was somewhat relieved the moment I saw Liz.

A smile appeared on his face.

"They're here."

"Yes." Seeing the smile on Su Xia's face, Liz smiled as well and sat down opposite Su Xia.

"After seeing Taeyeon yesterday, I went back to the hotel, played on my phone for a while, and then fell asleep." Su Xia brought up what happened last night, and his explanation put an end to the matter.

Liz didn't suspect anything, but her gaze suddenly fell on the phone on Su Xia's table.

On the phone screen, Su Xia was sitting there alone, talking non-stop, but since Su Xia was wearing headphones, Liz couldn't hear what she was saying in the video.

I didn't pay much attention to it, just glanced at it and then looked away.

"Su Xia oppa, when is your younger brother coming to Seoul to study?" Liz asked Su Xia, resting her chin on her hand, asking a question that Su Xia hadn't expected.

"School starts in March." Su Xia looked up at Liz in surprise. "Why did you suddenly ask that?"

"My younger brother is also coming to Seoul to study at Dongguk University this year, and I'd like to introduce them to each other," Liz said with a smile.

"You have a younger brother?" Su Xia asked in surprise.

"Yes." Liz nodded with a smile. "Many Korean families have two children. In my family, there's an older sister and a younger brother. My brother is two years younger than me, just like Su Dong, both born in 06."

"Then it's good to let them get to know each other." Su Xia nodded. Don't be fooled by the fact that Liz's younger brother attends Dongguk University. For an ordinary person who is not an entertainer, being able to get into Dongguk University is already quite impressive, especially in South Korea, a country known for its intense competition.

At least this result is far superior to Su Dong's.

The impression of Dongguk University is not very good because, as a place for studying abroad, if a domestic student takes the exam, the difficulty is no less than getting into a top-tier 985 or Double First-Class university.

Hanging out with top students might help improve Su Dong's terrible grades.

Seeing that Su Xia had agreed, Liz smiled happily.

She also had her own selfish motives. If she gradually got in touch with Su Xia's family, wouldn't things fall into place naturally?

"Last night after you fell asleep, we went back to the hotel and saw Taeyeon sunbaenim. Taeyeon sunbaenim even spoke to me!" Liz's eyes lit up as she mentioned this, filled with excitement at being remembered by her idol.

Su Xia is a fan of Taeyeon; that's the persona that Kim Taeyeon created for him.

But Liz likes Taeyeon; she's a true idol.

Did you get her contact information?

"I've always had it, but I just didn't know how to talk to Taeyeon sunbaenim. I just had a way to contact her." Li

Z said awkwardly.

Su Xia nodded. Keeping a distance from one's idol is actually quite good; otherwise, once you actually get to know them, your idol's image might be shattered.

"Here, have some breakfast." He handed the tablet the waiter had just given him to Liz, and also gave her the milk that was next to him.

"You only mentioned milk, so I took it upon myself to ask the waiter to bring me a cup of hot milk."

"Thank you." Liz took the tablet and milk, took a small sip of the warm milk, and then ordered breakfast.

"When I woke up, Qiu Tian unnie was also awake. I asked her if she was coming, and she said she wanted to sleep." Liz ordered food with her head down, but didn't forget to chat with Su Xia.

"In the autumn, she and Su Dong would chat privately." Su Xia immediately laughed, thinking of what Su Dong had mentioned when she went home.

"The members and I know about this. Su Dong-i occasionally asks Qiu Chu-ni questions about K-pop, and we help answer them when Qiu Chu-ni doesn't have time."

"K-pop?" Su Xia raised an eyebrow. "When did this kid start paying attention to K-pop?"

Isn't this guy a shut-in?

The room is full of Gundam and anime posters. When did they switch to K-pop?

"Maybe it's because of you? My brother works in the K-pop industry, and he's been influenced and developed an interest," Liz speculated.

"That's not impossible."

"I've ordered it." She put the tablet down and looked at Su Xia with her big, bright eyes. "Oppa, the song you gave me for my birthday, I added some lyrics to it, and the producer took it and included it in our third EP."

Su Xia ignored Liz's form of address and focused on the second half of her sentence.

"It's been recorded?" Su Xia looked at Liz in surprise. "You guys recorded it?"

"Yes, it's already recorded. The finished product is still being made, but it will definitely be ready this month," Liz nodded and said.

"That's really something—"

Su Xia recalled the scene when she learned to arrange and compose music with Kim Tae-yeon's encouragement.

Last year's casual action unexpectedly blossomed into something entirely new at the beginning of this year.

Su Xia felt a little strange.

Even if a song is only half-finished, it was still recognized and included by the producers at IVE.

Although it wasn't the main track, but just a minor included song, it was still a completely new experience for Su Xia.

If Old Deng were here, I could brag about it to her.

Su Xia's eyes darkened, but she quickly composed herself.

He didn't want Liz to see his negative emotions, as it would affect her mood.

But Liz, who had been watching him closely, still caught this fleeting change in emotion.

"What's wrong?" Liz asked, puzzled.

"It's nothing," Su Xia smiled. "I was just thinking about the hardships of writing the song."

"Yes!" Liz nodded in strong agreement, "Writing songs is really hard—"

She only wrote a section of lyrics, without even arranging the music, and it already tormented her. I really don't know how those producers create songs.

so amazing!

"This just means that neither of us has any talent for creative work, so we should just give up on this path." Su Xia didn't seem to care much; he was just using this to change the subject.

The fact that he lacked creative talent was already established before Kim Tae-yeon left.

Kim Tae-yeon doesn't have creative talent, but she has seen what people with creative talent are like.

Leaving aside the producers at SM Entertainment, she has met IU, her old rival, countless times. She knows this kind of genius all too well.

We can't beat them, we absolutely can't beat them!

Liz nodded in deep agreement.

"I'm not a great dancer, I have no talent for songwriting, and I'm not good at acting either. I can only slowly hone my singing skills," Liz said, resting her chin on her hand.

"Refine your singing skills?" Su Xia glanced at her. "I can't even be bothered to talk to you. Youzhen has already mastered everything I taught you last time, but you're still stuck in the same place."

Liz's smile froze, and she gave an awkward laugh.

"What I taught before is enough for now, that's sufficient."

Su Xia shook her head helplessly.

"I've become complacent."

Liz felt a little ashamed. She had indeed been slacking off a lot lately, and as the lead singer, she sometimes even sang with her legs split, which was really unacceptable.

"You're twenty now, you need to start thinking about your future. You can't be an idol forever," Su Xia reminded her, without saying much more. Kim Tae-yeon once said that commenting on and giving advice on other people's lives too much is too paternalistic, so it's best to avoid such things.

Then Su Xia teased her, saying, "You have the strongest motherly vibe."

"I know." Liz nodded. Although Su Xia only mentioned it once, it was a concern for some popular idols.

They were as popular as Girls' Generation back then, but now they're all looking for their own paths.

Being an idol is a profession that relies on youth. Whether or not they are aware of this, they will eventually have to find other ways to develop their future.

"Should we bring some breakfast for Qiutian later?" Su Xia asked casually while eating the barbecue on the table.

"Autumn unnie probably won't eat it." Liz shook her head slightly. "She can come down and eat it herself after she wakes up."

"You rarely eat breakfast?"

"Yeah, I basically spend the mornings sleeping." Liz chuckled. Every day she wakes up around nine or ten o'clock, then plays on her phone for a while before getting ready for lunch.

No wonder nine out of ten celebrities suffer from stomach problems; with this kind of habit, even a stomach of iron can't withstand it.

hum.

A message notification popped up above the phone that was playing the video.

Su Xia glanced at it; it was a message from Wu Haiyuan.

"This Wu Haiyuan." Su Xia couldn't help but laugh when she saw the message she sent.

Upon hearing that the message was from NMIXX's Oh Hae-won, Liz, who was "eating grass," also cast a curious glance.

A celebrity's classic breakfast: vegetable salad.

"Hae-won asked me when we'd throw another party, because she wants to hang out with you guys."

Liz blinked, then looked at Su Xia expectantly.

"Yeah, I'd love to attend another party like the one at Longshan Sauna!"

"Where do you guys find the time right now? You guys are making a comeback, LESSERAFIM is making a comeback too, NMIXX and ITZY are still unknown, and even I have a ton of things to do these past two months." Su Xia shook her head helplessly. "It's going to be very difficult to get everyone together like before."

"Then whoever has time can do it." Liz chewed on the "vegetable leaf" in her mouth, like a little lamb grazing on grass. "Or—make it into a series of videos? Oppa, weren't you struggling with what to film for your new series of videos? Let's film this. We can also record it as a variety show."

Liz's suggestion made Su Xia's expression change.

He is indeed looking for a new video series.

The series of videos featuring artists as cover stars has been released many times, but the effect has shown a clear downward trend. CJMCN and Su Xia have noticed this situation and are looking for new series of videos. As a result, most of the videos recently updated are behind-the-scenes clips and live stream edits from previously popular videos.

CJMCN's point is that K-pop artists are the foundation and the starting point for Su Xia's true rise. Covers are debut works, and we can't forget our roots, but we can't treat them as daily videos. We can only update them occasionally. We still need to find ways to collaborate with the artists.

During this period, the production departments of CJMCN and CJ Entertainment have been researching this matter. Su Xia doesn't know if they have come up with a solution yet, but they are probably still researching it. If there are any results, Park Hee-min has already told her.

"What you said makes sense." Su Xia nodded. "I'll talk to Ximin Nuna about it."

Liz gave an OK sign.

Looking at Liz across from me, behind her bare face were long, light blonde hair curled into curls, and she was wearing a familiar pair of glasses.

"Did you buy these glasses at Taeyeon's house?" Su Xia asked.

"Huh?" Liz subconsciously touched the glasses on the bridge of her nose, then nodded.

"Yes, I'm going to wear these glasses when I record a variety show next week," Liz said with a smile, pushing up her glasses.

Even without a trace of makeup, her bare face still pierced Su Xia's heart.

The sound of being moved always comes quietly, whether it's a frown or a smile, always in some ordinary moment.

Su Xia stared intently at the girl in front of her, her thoughts churning.

His gaze was just like when they first met, making Liz feel familiar while also blushing slightly.

As Liz lowered her head shyly, she suddenly realized something.

The way Su Xia looked at her when they first met was so similar to how she looked now. Back then, she only thought Su Xia was sizing her up as a business partner, but now, thinking back—

That's clearly a look of affection.

Perhaps it was the surging of memories, or perhaps it was the courage that came from the closer relationship, but Liz also mustered up her courage and spoke in a deliberately teasing tone.

"Oppa, are you looking at me like that because you fell in love at first sight?"

As soon as she spoke, Liz noticed a change in Su Xia's expression.

I have some regrets.

Her face flushed even more at this moment. How could she say such a thing?

Seriously—ouch!

Su Xia was somewhat surprised that Liz, who was usually lively but reserved, would suddenly say such a thing. She instinctively wanted to refute, but when the words were on the tip of her tongue, she remembered the parting words of an old man.

There was a moment of silence.

"It's less about love at first sight and more about the mutual attraction of magnetic fields."

11

Upon hearing Su Xia's voice, Liz forgot her shyness and carefully looked up at her.

"If your energies clash, even if you've never met each other before, you'll feel a strong dislike for each other the moment you see each other."

"When our magnetic fields are compatible, the moment we see each other, we have this wonderful feeling that we want to be friends with them and that we trust them."

People call this love at first sight, but I prefer to call it...

"A destined encounter."

Liz: "∑（{\△\| ）

""

Fate—is it predetermined?!

Liz's face, already flushed from mustering the courage to say "love at first sight," turned even redder, turning as red as an apple, after hearing Su Xia's words, "it was destined."

She completely ignored their subsequent encounters, her mind filled only with the phrase "it was destined."

If love at first sight is the attraction between lovers, then destiny elevates it to the point where husband and wife will spend the rest of their lives together.

What does Su Xia oppa mean by this?

Is he implying that he wants to be with her?

But if they were just together, there would be no need to say such things. They're practically together now, aren't they?

Could it be that he wants to propose to her?!

As soon as the thought popped into her head, Liz's face turned even redder, like a steamed lobster, as if white steam would rise from her face at any moment.

No, no, no!

You must be overthinking it!

Impossible Impossible!

Liz was in a state of confusion, feeling somewhat lost after Su Xia's words.

Meanwhile, Su Xia on the other side simply watched Liz, who was clearly flustered, with a faint smile on her lips.

What he said was the truth.

There are some people who, just by meeting them in life, inspire trust and make you want to have deep conversations and open your heart to them.

For Su Xia, Liz was the second person to be like that.

As for the first one—

Su Xia's eyes darkened slightly.

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